The USGA promotes and conserves the true spirit of the game of golf as embodied in its ancient and honorable traditions. It acts in the best interests of the game for the continued enjoyment of those who love and play it.

Landegren, 15, Proud To Be American
June 27, 2011
By Stuart Hall, USGA

On the first tee of this
week’s 35th U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, Landegren, 15, is
proud to be announced as hailing from Bridgewater, Conn.

For the past three summers,
though, Landegren proudly represented Sweden. Landegren, by virtue of her
father Erik being a native Swede, also holds Swedish citizenship.

I think it’s a better
experience for me, said Landegren, who, to this point, has eschewed competing on
the U.S. junior circuits. I think I get more out of it because Sweden is very
much into building the players and there is a lot of team and tournament play.

Last year, Landegren was
successful enough in her age category to rank as one of Sweden’s top junior players
and earn an invitation to represent the country in an international match
against Norway.

In some respects, Landegren
was able to draw on her experiences in Sweden on Monday.

On a day when chilly wind and
rain crossed paths around Bandon Dunes Golf Resort’s Old Macdonald Golf Links, Landegren
filled her scorecard with bogeys — 11 bogeys and one double bogey — for a
12-over-par 83 in her first USGA championship.

While that may appear to
leave little chance of making the cut as one of 64 players who move on to match
play after Tuesday, by early evening nine over par was tied for 91st, three
shots off the cut line. Even more encouraging heading into Tuesday’s round at
Bandon Trails is that Landegren played the final six holes in one over.

I thought it was tough out
there today, she said. I was used to this wind and rain coming from
Connecticut. I shot 83, so I’m fairly happy with that considering the weather.

In the beginning it was hard
to get going. But I wasn’t really nervous because I didn’t put a whole lot of
expectations on myself coming into the tournament. I was really more excited
just to see what I could do against the older players.

Consider it just another
notch on her belt. This spring Landegren, a sophomore, co-captained the Shepaug
Valley High golf team — the boys team, that is. At season’s end, she was the
clubhouse leader at the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference
Division IV Championship for six hours, before finishing fourth.

With each year I can see how
much she is maturing, said Erik Landegren of his daughter, adding that where
once her 8-over 42 on the first nine would have brought her to the verge of
tears, she now buckles down with a steely determination. She’s very stubborn
and she refuses to let the game get the best of her.

Erik Landegren walked a half
hole ahead of his daughter on Monday and was pleased with what he saw,
especially on the second nine. For that matter, he has been impressed by his daughter’s
golf acumen ever since she first swung a club.

Mia Landegren was the second
born of triplet girls and was introduced by Erik and her mother, Patricia, to a
variety of sports growing up. Like
a lot of golf beginnings, there came a day about seven years ago when father
and daughter were in the yard knocking a ball around.

"I
just had some old clubs and I thought 'Mia has a pretty good little
swing,'" he said. "And it stuck, she absolutely loved it from the
beginning. We actually had to make her do other sports when she was younger
because she just wanted to focus on the golf. I was thrilled."

What
appeals to Mia Landegren about the game is the competitive aspect against par
and the course. That is what drives her to improve, drives her to want to turn
professional at some point.

On Monday,
several college coaches roamed Old Macdonald’s grounds, clearly taking in her
game. Prior to this championship, Mia Landegren failed in an effort to qualify
for next week’s U.S. Women’s Open. It’s doubtful that this will be her last
USGA championship.

After the
WAPL, Mia Landegren is headed back to Stockholm, where much of Erik Landegren’s
extended family lives. How long she will compete in that international
atmosphere is the unknown.

I really
want to play at the next level, she said. So at some point we will probably
talk to coaches and see what they think I should do. I really love playing in
Sweden and that whole experience, but I also want to do what’s best for my
game.

Stuart Hall is a North Carolina-based freelance
writer whose work has appeared previously on
USGA websites.